searched and waited for my 1976 XJ12L...and what I received was a lemon

To Tom Jones- I read through this entire thread and agree that it should remain up for all to read. I am curious to know - who was more at fault (in your opinion) regarding any misrepresentation of the car's condition? The dealer or the original owner who sold it to the dealer? I didn't quite understand "the other side of the story".

Dan,

I would have to agree with you wholeheartedly. I would, however, like to add that in my own experience asking questions of JCNA members in a wide variety of cities (and more than one country) has invariably resulted in my receiving much more information along with offers of both extra and future assistance than I had any right to expect from people that did not know me.

I don't know if this has something to do with the type of person attracted to Jaguars or whether owning a Jaguar in fact ends up training us. Regardless, for those here who recognize themselves, thank you - I would somehow hope one day to repay you and/or others in kind.

Kenneth L. Cantor
ex 1987 Series III VDP

Edited on 2006-04-10 11:08:20

Pasacal: your comment about adverts with bogus scores is clearly the type of thing that JAM's earlier posts treat as an example of blantent misrepresentation. That's flat out shocking but not surprising to me.

As already posted, the safe answer to any seller's claim is verify the pitch. My first contact with our mutual friend Jeff, started when I contacted him to verify "club scores" that were hyped in the advert which led to buying the current X-JS ... the rest is history.

A little help extended to first time Jag buyers creates new JCNA members.

I trust that the JCNA classifieds have fine print somewhere about all representations are those of the seller only etc.?

Regards,

Dan Lokun
Toronto Canada
90 XJ-S

for the time being, lets leave this thread up. i dont' really any reason to take it down, the dealer wasn't name and it's clear that's somethignhappened to the car between the time John sold it to the dealer and t got to Florida.

it's informative, and may help future buyers.

I've often come across ads claiming a car was a national champion yet when checking the concours resutls i could never come up with a match!

Fine by me to defer to Pascal - I have not disagreed with his decisions as the moderator of forum(s).

I think the posts about e-bay are informative and of general interest though.

Regards,

Dan Lokun
Toronto Canada
90 XJ-S

J.A.M. I totally agree. I usually look here for helpful tips and will continue to do so. Come on sunshine! Sorry ,I live in Ohio.

I believed Harold's hearsay when I first read his post, so I'm guilty of my own posts, but I asked Harold to provide the item number to me so I could reach my own conclusion, and he did not, perhaps understandably he wants to put the whole thing to rest, but in all fairness, we've all been sweating this thread while Harold dissapeared from the scene as Doug reminded us. This is the equivalent of starting a brawl in the bar, then quietly walking away while everyone keeps throwing punches and tearing the bar apart.

Based on everything so far, I propose that this entire post & thread be deleted from the record since no evidence has been provided against the seller other than hearsay. We don't even know WHO the seller really was,
we don't even know if the whole enchilada is true.

Though I could delete my own posts in this thread, I won't do it because everything I've said is true. So it's up to Pascal what he decides to do.

Otherwise, I'm through with this thread. I prefer to talk about Jaguar Repair Tips.

JAM - you are right to want to see the Ebay advert to come to your own conclusions but it does not appear to be forthcoming.

Doug - do you think Harold's ears are now burning instead of John's? You cut to the chase with your comment.

Edward - what can I say, frivolous lawsuits keep the multitude of errors and omissions insurers happy and in business.

Regards,
Dan Lokun
Toronto Canada
90 XJ-S

Anyone besides me notice who is conspicuously absent from this continuing conversation? That's right. Harold. Not one posting since he was asked to clarify/confirm who he bought the car from.

We never heard but one side of the story...and that side seems to have been a bit tainted. It appears that the car was returned and the money refunded. I've begun to wonder just how badly Harold was....or wasn't... victimized here.

We can speculate all we want, but.....

Doug Dwyer
Longview Washington USA
1987 XJ6 Ser III
1988 XJS V12 Coupe

Dan,I've been asked to give a professional opinion in my business for Real Estate brokers. But I understand what you're saying.I honestly give an opinion based on my knowledge and experience but if told upfront that it was strictly for court proceedings you had better know and believe what you're talking about and also believe that what you're saying is in the best interest of someone you know is going to get dishonestly screwed (as opposed to getting honestly screwed which I suppose may be possible too.)Sometimes you have to take a stand,and man if I know I'm right I'll go after Godzilla.No,I am not an attorney.

I still would like to read with my own eyes the original car description of the auction at eBay; To me, that's the bottom line in this can 'o werms.
Since it has been over 30 days, it can only be seen with the Item Number which I don't have. But if the Seller took the car back as it appears, surely the Buyer got a refund and hopefully case closed. Speaking for myself, I have been buying cars since 1967. I have never purchased a car based on pictures or heaven forbid, based on the seller's description. If everybody did that too, this sort of thing wouldn't happen. For some unexplained reason, many many sellers fail to see rust, dings, scratches, bent or missing parts, cracked glass, or any deffect, when they decide to get rid of their unwanted car! While the Buyer spots them at first sight.

I am with you on that opinion but about that cans of worms: I have seen lawsuits about real estate involving the buyer vs. the seller and then (surprise, surprise) the home inspector & the real estate brokers get dragged in as defendants too. Who can say the same wouldn't happen in an aborted car deal - i.e. the buyer vs. the seller & the shipper & the broker & the vehicle inspector (and on and on)?

Regards,
Dan Lokun
Toronto Canada
90 XJ-S

Whoa....what a nightmare and can of worms that opened here. Gonna spend a significant amount of money? Go see for yourself or pay a licensed service if you can't.Just an opinion of course.

E-Bay has worked for me for Jag parts (hoses etc.). I would be unlikely to buy a big ticket item without some independent investigation.

I can see how E-Bay caters to the sellers as the "customer" but the business cycle truly starts with confident and satisfied buyers.

Regards,
Dan Lokun
Toronto Canada
90 XJ-S

quote: "additionally if an item is not received as described E bay will get you your money back..."

I disagree; That doesn't happen. Not true.

The first evidence of eBay's washing their hands off any transaction can be seen when you open any auction: Every auction has a Disclaimer from eBay, have you seen it? "Seller is Responsible for blah blah and blah".
legalese for: "we only collect the Fees from the seller, and we don't care what happens between you and the seller..."

2) if you place a complaint though eBay's "Dispute Resolution", the most they will do is send a copy of your complaint to the seller; If the seller decides to Not Respond, or responds saying "when I shipped the item it was fine", they might (repeat: might) temporarily shut the seller down, but they usually don't do that because if the seller is a high volume seller, they don't want to cut their flow of income, and that's how they make their money, From Sellers. So Sellers and eBay are One; Buyers are Zero.

3) if Dispute Resolution does not work, eBay will then try to SELL YOU a "Mediation Service", at your expense of course. Throw more money at them.

4) if you use their "I've been Scammed Guarantee", they will deduct the first $25.00 from any refund. If you lost $50.00 to a crook, they pay you $25.00. So you get crooked twice, by the seller first, then by eBay, they guarantee you get scammed twice.

Though I agree that buying miscelaneous items at eBay is fun, the so-called "Buyer Protection" for high-dollar purchases is simply a sham,
particularly cars, there are plenty witnesses to that all over the world.

Eventually, as it always happens, a court case will change eBay's policies towards Buyers. Justice walks slow, but it always gets there. Then and only then, will eBay be such an Utopia. Until then, it's Caveat Emptor.

As regards buying on E bay. I do it, I also sell things-cars included. If someone from afar asks me a question about condition I suggest they contact the local jag Club and find someone whom will look at the car for them. Similiarly I am asked to check cars for other people sometimes travelling distances to do so, Using common sense, buying on E bay is safe, additionally if an item is not received as described E bay will get you your money back. It is a fantastic tool that allows people all over the world to find and buy things they never could otherwise! Jaguar affectionado and etc.

does anybody have the item number of the ebay auction where this car was sold? The bottom line rests on the description of the car in the auction;
If the seller described it as a 99.8 condition, then obviously the car was grossly misrepresented. If the seller mentioned it was once in 99.8 condition, then that's just hot air and Buyer Beware. It's not what it WAS but what it IS. This is typical of things happening at eBay; Either they misrepresent condition by omission, by double-talk, or just plain blatantly. I'll say it again: Never buy a car sight unseen.

So there are now two sides to the story but the dispute appears resolved or (per Harold's earlier post) off to Court.

Regards,

Dan Lokun
Toronto Canada
90 XJ-S

Erector set ((-; That's a good one Ed.

I've been so busy with work and such that I haven't had time to check up on the forums like I should. A friend of mine phoned and let me know why my ears have been burning so much lately. As a member of JCNA for over 12 years, I should try to stay more in touch with things. I can offer the other side of the story here. If interested, read on.

The 76 XJ12L that has been publicly lambasted on this forum was indeed my car. It's really not the lemon that it's been called. The restoration is extensively documented. It held the international 1st place in C11 in 2003 and has several 99.9+ scores up until the fall of 2005 - which as Bob noted, are all public record on this site. It's provenance and history are unquestioned. Many of you know the car, shoot, many of you have judged it over the years or helped me restore it.

It was kept in my garage and used in car shows and such. It was just a play thing for me so it got pampered like a Jag should be. I really just like to do restorations and after they're done, I never quite know what to do with them. I finally decided to sell this one on to make room and generate a few bucks for a Rolls Royce I'm wanting.

The dealer here that I sold it to is actually quite reputable. They have a large indoor showroom and sell by appointment and on Ebay. I followed the Ebay auction and they never said anything that wasn't true. Nor did they omit anything. There were some 30 pictures of the car on the listing. It is my understanding that the dealership took the car back when they learned that the buyer wasn't 100% pleased. What more can they do? We're not talking about a $1 million D-Type here.

I had numerous email conversations with the buyer before he took delivery. He asked certain questions which got me a little concerned. I could tell he didn't have much experience with old cars and none with complex early generation fuel injected V12 Jaguars. He also indicated to me that he is getting on in years and isn't able to do even the most rudimentary maintenance. I began to think that an old Jag was not the right choice for him. Maybe an old Mustang or an MGB would be right for him, I thought - something a bit easier to maintain. I knew he would need a good support group and qualified mechanic just to keep this 30 year old car going and in tip top shape. Ironically, I told him to join the SFJC (the JCNA affiliate in his area) which he did, and then used this forum to bash me and my restoration. No good deed ever goes unpunished.

After he took delivery, he had his wife email me a note listing his complaints to which I again replied with advice to seek out a qualified technition to help with the car. I thought that most of the problems with the car were due to storage and transport. None were so serious that they couldn't be quickly and cheaply fixed. She replied with a terse "Thank you" and that was that. Then I was contacted by the 2nd place bidder from the auction who informed me that the sale had fallen through and he was again interested in the car. I continued to give him all the information on the car that I had. That's the last I heard of the matter until now.

The good book says to turn the other cheek and all, but it's hard not to take personal offense when the subject of such vitriolic verse is a car that I've invested years (well 22 months actually), sweat, blood and huge amounts of after tax dollars into. If you've never turned a wrench on one, you don't know what I'm talking about, but a large part of me still resides in that car and always will.

Everyone's entitled to his opinion, of course.

Very best regards,
John Testrake
Jaguar Association of Greater St. Louis

40K in parts reciepts not including labor? I might have walked from that erector set.Just an opinion....Ed

Right, somebody (perhaps me...I'd have to go back) asked "Is it John Testrake's car?". When the reply was "yes" I think we all assumed John was the present owner and was personally selling the car.

Although Harold never atually said that Testrake was the seller, he didn't do anything to correct us when it was (I think) quite apparent that we were under the wrong assumption.

This is a good example of how things can get tangled up very easily. I have to wonder, at this point, what "the other side of the story" is.

My own experience is that a 99+ point Jaguar (or any other car) can "go downhill" very, very quickly. Showing a true daily driver in Championship Class has taught me that much.......

Cheers

Doug Dwyer
Longview Washington USA
1987 XJ6 Ser III
1988 XJS V12 Coupe

Bob, thanks for clearing this for me, I obviously missed the first part of the story, I thought Harold Jacob's first complaint was this specific thread.

J.A.M. JohnÔÇÖs name was mentioned in a previous post and it is his car. Unfortunately Harold chose to leave a lot of us with the impression that it was John that did the dirty on him. However this is not the case. It is my understanding that the car had been on display at a museum some place and obviously got really mistreated there. Harold purchased the car through a liquidation house or sales place of some sort that was representing the museum at the time.

I donÔÇÖt know John that well other than my contact with him via the jag lists but I do know that he totally restored this car himself and had posted pictures of it on the Jag-lovers site. It looked absolutely stunning when it was finished and I know he was justifiably very proud of it. In addition I will add, to let a V-12 sit unused in any place for two years is just begging for problems when you come to start it. The old Gas in the tanks rapidly degrades and the carburetors jets get plugged with varnish. All adding up to major problems when you finally get around to starting it. Probably would leak oil like a sieve as well. Lights not working and trim coming loose are all an easy fix and nothing to get in a sweat about. People leaning up against the car or getting to close for a better look of the interior could have caused scratches on the paint. It was after all, British Racing Green a colour that tends to show marks rather easily.

I have a 92 V-12 Black Cherry that I showed last year. I have had it put away in a garage for the winter, about five months in all. I just got it out to start working on it and I got to tell you, it looked nothing like a Concours car when it first came out. That's life, things get spoilt and dirty when they are not being looked after well.

Bob.
92 Ser III V-12 VDP #31 Canadian Edition
87 Ser III V-12 VDP
86 Ser III AJ6/Soveriegn
85 Ser III XJ6/VDP
65 MkII 3.4 Automatic.
59 MkI 3.4 Automatic.

I don't know what went on with this story but a 99 point car doesn't go in two years from 99 to the condition in which it was received and described by Harold Jacobs; I may be missing some detail here, but there is no mention of any John Testrake by Harold Jacobs in this post. Maybe I missed a previous post? The bottom line would be to check the VIN number or numbers, if there are two similar cars being confused here. Buying a car sight unseen always results in complaints and disputes, doesn't it?

Edited on 2006-03-29 17:28:46

Dan every thing you ever wanted to know and more is on this site if you only want to spend the time to look for it.

2003 C11 won class John & Emily Testrake SC20-30420 99.950 1976 XJ12L Brt. Gr. Jaguar Association of Greater St. Louis, club show.

2003 C11 First place standing John & Emily Testrake SC20-30420 1976 XJ12L Brt. Gr. Winner of the North American Championship with an average mark of 99,9200 over three shows.

One really nice car at this time. Hardly bait and switch.

Bob.
92 Ser III V-12 VDP #31 Canadian Edition
87 Ser III V-12 VDP
86 Ser III AJ6/Soveriegn
85 Ser III XJ6/VDP
65 MkII 3.4 Automatic
59 MkI 3.4 Automatic

Edited on 2006-03-29 17:11:35

Edited on 2006-03-29 17:00:36

Are these JCNA standings for the car in issue on record?

JCNA records on this site are extensive.

Did this car really receive a 99+ score somewhere and then show up so rough? Sounds like bait and switch to me.

Is there a bright side to this story - like a sound engine?

When I bought our XJS, I contacted the local club President to verify the local concours scores in the sales pitch and see what he thought of the car.

In the end, I bought the car and joined the local JCNA club and another local club.

I hate hearing sad tales like this as it just plays into the unfounded idea that Jags are money pits.

Regards,

Dan Lokun
Toronto Canada
90 XJ-S

Edited on 2006-03-23 15:38:22

So Harold correct me if I am wrong. Did you not purchase this car through a dealership that was representing a museum where the car had been on display for some time? In fact is it not true that John Testrake had nothing whatsoever to do with this purchase of yours. Did you not also receive this car over a month ago and you have already returned the car to them.

Ooops should have checked the spelling before hitting post.

Bob.
92 Ser III V-12 VDP #31 Canadian Edition
87 Ser III V-12 VDP
86 Ser III AJ6/Soveriegn
85 Ser III XJ6/VDP
65 MkII 3.4 Automatic
59 MkI 3.4 Automatic

Harold, perhaps I haven't been paying close enough attention. Please clarify....you bought the car from a dealer and not from John Testrake?

Its important for us to know. We wanna be mad at the right parties here.

Doug Dwyer
Longview Washington USA
1987 XJ6 Ser III
1988 XJS V12 Coupe

Thank you all for your time, kindness and efforts of your replies.

What am I to say except i am a trusting person, especially when you are being wellcomed into the club by so many who seem so honorable and got out of there way to help.

The car came to me with recipts work done totaling $40k+ last i added and lots more- and that's w/o any labor charges.

The story was sent to me and the previous owner is a very highly regarde member- but...i shouldve looked at it myself.

The car was at the dealership being preped and waited there for the transport- it then took 2 days to get to me- but as far as damages during transport- the driver had a signed relesa notating all of the problems I have for mentioned with the dealers ok and signature- so he knew what he was shipping me.

i AM BUSY UNTIL MONDAY LIVING IN THE REAL WORLD, BUT COME MONDAY MORNING MY ATTORNEY WILL FILE FOR THE MONIES DUE ME- I DONT INTEND TO LET THIS GO---YA KNOW AS A CAR GUY MY WHOLE LIFE I HAVE ALWAYS FOUND NICE HONEST PEOPLE TO DEAL WITH THAT SHARED MY VALUES AND PASSION- THIS WAS JUST A SELL JOB ON A MISREPRESENTD VEHICLE. I HAVE NO DOUBT THE CAR WAS AT ONE TIME A SHOW CAR, BUT SOMEHOW WENT DOWNHILL FROM THERE TO THE CAR SALES DEALER WHO REPRESENTED IT FOR WHAT IT WAS RATHER THAN WHAT IT IS. i WAS PROMISSED A 100% CAR-EVERYTHING WORKING BETTER THAN NEW OUT OF THE SHOWROOM- WHAT I GOT WAS A CAR THAT MAY HAVE BEEN THAT WAY SOME YEARS AGO...............BUT NOT GOING TO WIN ANY CONCOURS EVENTS NOW-IF IT'LL RUN AT ALL.

thanks again!

Anyone need a chrome right hand side view mirror NOS with all the bits to put it on the door, including manual remote controll???

SFJC
1976 XJ12L
BRG/Biscuit

My heart goes out to you, Harold. I hope this doesn't "sour you" on Jaguars (or Jaguar owners/sellers) forever. Most are decent and honest.

Because I am known to be annoyingly optimistic and reasonable I have to ask: if there is *any* possibilty that these problems are transporation related? Did the transport company have the car for an unusually long time...perhaps storing it in a marshalling areas for periods of time? If the car was, so to speak, "kicked around" for a few weeks anything might have happened.

I suspect the answers will be "no" but I had to ask. I just feel so bad for you and am so disappointed that a fellow Jag hobbyist would be so deceitful that I am grasping for any straw which might mitigate this sad situation.

Please keep us posted and do take action

Doug Dwyer
Longview Washington USA
1987 XJ6 Ser III
1988 XJS V12 Coupe

that was my point: the way Harold describes the condition of the car that he received, is nothing like a 99.80. 99.80 means a concours-condition car by any definition. A guy I met from Canada got burnt the same way.

I would not let any more time go by; You should file a complaint with eBay inmediately; This is not an issue of "patience" but of action. The description in the auction should be good evidence for you against the seller. Start at eBay's Dispute resolution, and potentially check what Safeguards your purchase included, they do have a Buyer Protection Program.

My advice is: don't threaten the seller with court. Go through eBay first. Once you file a complaint, eBay will shut him down if he doesn't respond. Wait to see what he does. Let eBay know that you purchased the item based on the Auction Description and Seller's Feedback of 100%. But the item received is substantially different than the description, don't mention the method of shipment, that could backfire. The Seller knows he ripped you off, and he may assume you won't do anything about it, as most ripped-off buyers do.

Last resort: leave him Negative Feedback at eBay, but First ask eBay to block any feedback from him on your account based on the circumstances, they will block him. Then take him to you know where.

I agree with Gregory that being a Member of the JCNA does not guarantee honesty, but first-time Jaguar buyers have a tendency to trust members of the JCNA, being that it is a highly regarded organization. Second to that, Jaguar owners are in the mayority, an honest group of people. The issue here is buying at eBay, crooks who operate from eBay are ruining it for the honest sellers who deliver what they promise, I have been burnt myself. There are many at eBay selling Jaguar cars and parts who simply don't know what they are doing.

Harold:

Your story is appalling. The fact that the vendor is a JCNA member guarantees nothing, obviously, since honesty is not a requirement of JCNA membership. The whole process of buying and selling collector cars requires a high level of mutual trust, and a satisfactory outcome depends on the personal integrity of both parties. The buyer must be able to trust that the description of the car is accurate and that the vendor is not hiding major problems. In this case, the vendor seems to be unaware of the "golden rule" of treating others as you would wish to be treated.

A car is a car, and no car is perfect; a used car may have "issues" that neither the vendor nor the buyer is aware of at the point of sale. It is also entirely possible for a car to develop an unforeseen problem shortly after delivery, with no fault accruing to the vendor. But based on your description of the car as delivered, you did not receive anything remotely like what was described to you - it was apparently not even roadworthy - so how could this car have been described as a concours example (99.98!)? I myself have been in a similar (but less extreme) situation, and it is not pleasant. You have had a vendor to be avoided, obviously, unless there is much, much more to this story.

Gregory Andrachuk
1992 Series III V12 Vanden Plas
1966 Mark 2 3.8
2002 X-Type

Edited on 2006-03-22 19:41:17

Well. .. of course you are 100% correct i should have never bought a car sight unseen, but the documentation, previous owner being a highly regarded JCNA member, the seller being rated 100% on Ebay, my enthusiam, trust .and stupidity...well you know the rest.

I do have all the necessary documentation and i was givng the seller the benefit of answering one of my several emails before giving the mess to my Atty- but my patience is wearing thin so I guess I have no other recourse.

While I do realize a car is a car.....I was assured this was a 99.80 point car with it running as new and although for an enthusiast who wants to spend his weekends in his garage or his retirement money on mechanics it would be a good fit-it was far from that for me.

thanks again.

SFJC
1976 XJ12L
BRG/Biscuit

Harold,

The 1976 XJ12L that is listed as "dead" in my sig was bought by my father in me in 1987, not running. My joke ever since has been that if you ever buy a Jaguar "not running," they tend to stay that way. (g)

Our car never really did run. We got rid of it in 2000 and we'd put almost 350 miles on it in 14 years. The motor was solid, but the fuel system was complete trash (by far the worst malady the car had), the trans was going out and the interior of yours sounds identical to the interior of ours.

What finally killed it, though, was rust-through in the floor pan. We had bodywork fixed twice and would have kept fiddling with the fuel system, but when the passenger's side floor rusted through the third time we cut our losses.

We paid $4,000 for the car when we got it, easily put another $4k-$6k in it, and got nothing on the back end. To be honest, I'm surprised at myself that I ever went back to the marque.

But the reason I did was my experience with restoring old Mitsubishi Starions. I have two of them. One of them, a 1987, I bought at 90k miles. The car had been ticketed for a trip to the junkyard. The other, a 1988, I got at 110k miles. It had been abandoned on the side of Interstate 59 near Gadsden, Ala., and I found it by accident.

In the years since, I've restored the '87, and it now has about 193k miles.. I've entered it in car shows, driven it in rallies and I proposed to my wife in it. The '88 now has almost 170k. It, too, is restored, and has become one of the most reliable cars I've ever owned. And believe me, Mitusbishi Starions and Jaguars are not much different from one another. They both have reputations for refinement and performance...as well as mechanical insanity. And restoring a Starion was just about as expensive for me as fixing up the 198 XJS V12 that I owned a few years ago.

The bottom line is that as long as the car isn't about to rust away on you, everything you just listed can be fixed, and your car can be reliable. I laughed about your missing gas pedal -- ours didn't have one, either. Just remember that mechanically, a car is a car is a car. There's no magic in making them work, just good science and elbow grease.

Don't give up on her yet.

Jess

1963 XKE (sold)
1976 XJ12L (dead)
1988 XJS (sold)
1999 XJ8

I really feel for you, and I don't want to add to your misery, but you broke the First Rule of Car Buying: "Never buy Any Car Sight Unseen" and you paid the price of breaking that rule. At the very least, and considering the amount of money involved, you could have hired an Independent Appraiser/Inspector for $150.00 or so to minimize your losses. Where do you hire someone like that? you find them at Hemmings.com

I see this situation repeated every day, people get euphoric and lay their money in good faith, believing everything the Seller tells them, (especially at eBay), but without any confirmation. And it never fails, the car is always much worse than described.

What do you mean you lost $4k on the deal? Frankly, you should not allow that to happen, you should hire an attorney and sue, provided you have documented evidence of the misrepresentations, if it's all hearsay, forget about winning a case. If you didn't get it "in writing", you broke the Second Rule: "Get It In Writing".

"Buyer Beware" is another Rule, that's why you hire someone to inspect the car if you can't do it yourself.

Here's more tips for your next try: Contact a Jaguar Owner to help you find a car, not a dealer, not a broker. Jaguar Owners are aware of cars that they can't buy themselves, (because they already have a few), but that are choice cars in need of a good home and they will refer you to the owner instead of trying to make a profit. How do you find a willing-to-help Jaguar Owner? Contact Car Clubs in or near your area.

Avoid buying any car from the North "Winter Salt" States. The best preserved cars are in the South and South West, and even then, Buyer Beware applies because it could be an import from the North. So you'll need to do a Tile/Ownership Search by using a service like Carfax BEFORE you buy the car. (just get the VIN of the car).

Don't give up, take the time to research a car, don't rush, be demanding and Put It In Writing. Walk away if the Seller won't satisfy your questions and gives you the "it's all there" or "it was running the last time my son drove it 8 years ago" kind of answers. Better buying next time.